Celebrity Stories
Rihanna Said WHAT About Single Mums?
Eloise Edington | 24 Nov 2021
Pop-singer and CEO of Fenty Beauty, Rihanna, has recently opened up about her intention to be a mum within the next ten years and explained that if she is ready to be a parent, why wait? Relationship status shouldn’t factor into whether or not you are ready to be a parent — and thanks to advanced fertility medicine and practices, there are many different ways that people can conceive a child without a partner.
Read on to discover why Rihanna wants to be a parent and her thoughts on single mums. You can also see Fertility Help Hub’s brief list of surrogacy, sperm and egg banks that can help single intended parents start their family.
Words by Katherine Compton
Featured image credit: Shutterstock
Will Rihanna Be A Single Mum?
In the new issue of British Vogue, Rihanna disclosed her desire to become a mother, ideally to three or four children. She has made her recent breakup from a three-year relationship no secret and so many ask the question, “is she going to be a single intended parent?”
In short, she responded that her relationship status will not deter her from being a mum once she decides to begin trying, “Since I turned 32, I’m realizing life is really short. You don’t have a lot of time to tolerate shit, you know? You put so much on your plate. When you’re overwhelmed, you need to start cutting things out. And I’m overwhelmed too much.”
Rihanna believes being in a relationship isn’t necessary for being a partner and being in an overwhelming one is detrimental to effective child-rearing.
Statistically, children who grow up is single-parent households tend to have better life satisfaction, more positive relationships with peers, and healthier feelings and outlooks on family life when compared to their peers who grew up in a more traditional family set-up. Research also shows that marital status has no impact on a child’s cognitive and emotional development.
Surrogacy, Egg and Sperm Banks That Offer Solo Parenthood Options
Single mothers can still face discrimination and backlash for becoming a parent without a partner, so it might seem difficult to find a fertility clinic offering treatment to single parents.
However, there are plenty of egg and sperm banks that are inclusive of all parents, including those wishing to start a family solo.
Here is TRB’s recommended list of excellent fertility clinics that won’t discriminate against you for your single status:
These fertility clinics offer surrogacy, sperm and egg donation options and support single parents. The process could be anything from choosing an egg or sperm donor, undergoing IVF or connecting with a surrogate. Adoption is also another great way to have the family of your dreams.
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Photo Credit: @ririgalbadd Instagram
Single Mum Stigma
In the UK, there are roughly 1.8 million single parents (90% of whom are women) with the average age of 39. The percentage of women who have chosen to be single parents, either through adoption or by using egg and sperm donors, has risen by 4% in the past year. Despite the rise of single parenthood, there is still a negative stigma surrounding single mums.
So what did Rihanna have to say about the treatment of single mums?
“I feel like society makes me want to feel like, ‘Oh you got it wrong…’ They diminish you as a mother if there’s not a dad in your kids’ lives.” She continues, “but the only thing that matters is happiness, that’s the only healthy relationship between a parent and a child. That’s the only thing that can raise a child truly, is love.”
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Photo Credit: @ririgalbadd Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Photo Credit: @ririgalbadd Instagram
Rihanna’s heartwarming definition of parenthood can bring comfort to all within the infertility community, whether you’re a single parent who adopted your child or used sperm or egg donation. Rihanna reminds us providing happiness and love to your child is the most important thing when it comes to parenting.
(At The Ribbon Box, we recognise that celebrity experiences of (in)fertility, fertility treatment and parenting don’t always reflect the experiences of the general public. Rihanna’s finances are far removed from many of our own and if she chooses to have children as a single mother, she’ll have financial access to a breadth of support.)
All single mothers deserve to be appreciated and taken seriously – no matter their financial situation. Relationship status does not define the quality of a child’s upbringing and we shouldn’t let it.
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